Reconnoitering device



July 28, 1931. J. B. s-rRAuss 1,815,935

I v nEcoNNoITERING DEVICE Filed July 24, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oat/wemJuly 23, 1931 J. B. sTRAuss 1,815,935

RECONNOITERING DEVICE Filed July 24, 1922 s sheets-*sheet 2 July 28,1931- J. B. sTRAus$ 1,815,935

REcoNNoITERING DEVICE iled'July 24, 1922 I5 Sheets-Sheetl 3 Uy @QQ 1@memes Patenfed'ialyizs;19311` a f .u n j 1,815,935

"Josnrn B'. srruiuss, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS RCQNNQITERING yDEVICEyje.lipplicatiion mea y:'ru1y`24, 1922. yserial No; 577,058.

K- This invention relates to improvements in` prefer to use a shaft 14.There are prefreconnoitering apparatus and has for its oberably wheelsat the end off-the towerr ject to -.provide a new and improved device ofi which bear upon the ground when the tower this description byfmeans ofwhich an obseris disconnected from the power. element.

y.5 vation tower may be easily and quickly 'trans-KK Thexreel 10 isrotatably mounted upon the 5;" ported from 'point' to point and thensetup rearwardly and downwardly projecting parts and'manipulated tomakeobservations. The lOlconnected with'the frame and the powerinvention has` other objects, which are more elementfThe lamp 12 ismounted upon pivparticularly pointed .out in the .accompanyots 15 on thesupports 16 connectedwith the loing description. platform 13. vTheplatform 13isy kept in a 5t eferring now to theiaccompanyingdrawsubstantially horizontal position during all ings v 'Y r the variouspositions of the tower 2.` This Fig.v1 is a view showing one form.of'de-L result is securedin the construction shown vice embodying theinvention in position for by providing the shaft 14 with abeveled gear Y15 being moved from point tor point; y j y, v 16a. f There is alongitudinal shaft 1T extend- ,6i 'fFig.kj2is a. view :showingtheobservation lng along the tower which has a beveled gear tower withlthe` observation platform onr'the c 18 engaging the beveled gear 16eyon the shaft ground; j n f r y *4' 14. The shaft 17 hasat the other endabev-r if 3 is a Viewkr showing the observation eled gear 19 whichengages a beveled gear 20 towerlifted; 'f f f upon lthe pivot ory shaft5 upon'ywhich the f7( f Like numerals referto-'li epartsthroughtower ismounted on the frame 3. j The-bevouttheseveral'iiguresqA` f f 'f f' f feled gear 20 is stationary andas theqtower In the construction yshownIproviderear is lifted the beveledgear 19 moves about wheels 1,uponiwhich theobservationtower the shaft ,5s andI is yrotated byitsjengage- `2isfmounted.l Thesewheels carrya'frame 'ment with thek gear20, and thisrrotates 75,

` having' two-separated upwardly projecting the shafty 17 and thek gear18.V The gear members t. :The fibservation tower 2y is piv-y 18 by itsengagement with t-he gear 16a rotates otedv at 5 upon the supportingframe 3. The the latter gear and the shaft 14 and the parts e frame 3has a forwardly projecting part 6 areso proportioned as to keepthe'platform* f which is preferably bent downwardly so as to 1.3 alwaysin a substantially horizontal po- 30 form a supporting' member inengagement sition. f j v, with the ground orother surface upon` which.The` tower is provided with seatsz20a and the wheels 1 rest when theend ofthe towerk 21 forfsome of themen while the deviceis isdisconnected from the power element 7 .j being transported. The endofthe frame 3 This power element may be offany suit-k is connected tothe"tower whenthe device 85 able form, and is. mounted; upon'wheels-7"-, is being transported by means of thesafety andthe end ofthetower2is connected there-k hook 22.r iA kSafety device is provided forto by'a king pin 8. This'pin permits pivotaly preventing the fall of thetower which conmove'ment, and when it is'removed the tower sis'ts of therack 23 on the frame 3 and the 10 is disconnected from the power elementand pawl Y'24 mounted on the tower. l 90 this power element may then be"moved to ai The Ltower islifted and loweredinany dedistant point.` Thepower element is pro- 'jsired manner, as by means of a motor 25videdwith an electric generator 9 for gen-y mounted 'onl theframe 3. Acable y26 is coneratinga current and it is also 'provided with nectedat27 to the tower and passesovera i a reel 10. A cable or'electricconductor 11 pulley 28 on the frame and'then overapulley 9e Y connectedwith the generatoris wound upon 29 011 the tOWeI", and then down .at therear lthereel 10 and is connected with the electric t0 a Windlig'dlumV30, this Winding drum j light 12 mounted yon the platform 13 of thebeing Operatedby the 11101301 25 threligh Sllii'ltower. This platform ispivotally connected able Speed IeduCfJiOli apparatus 31. f 'f with thetower in any' desired manner. I` It Will lie-.Seen that When the IIlOOIiS m0 operated to wind the cable 26, the tower will be lifted, and whenit is rotated to unwind i' at 33 to the tower and which also passes ,to

` the drnrn 30, this steadying'cablepassing over a pulleyontheframe. .Atthe y.rear of the f 4frame is a receptacle 3 5 for eXtra mirrors `orglass for the searchlight.v ,c

A toolbox 36 is connectedV 'with 'theI frame '3. In the use of thedevice the tower is connected to therpower element 7 when 'it isdesiredto move the device from place to:placeg. When itis desired to use thetower it is disconnected from the powerelement 7, and if itzisdesiredtonse it on` the lgronnd'the part ,6i ofthe tranieis .let downto engage4the ground andthe wheels i5 arealsoon the \f,'r'oundl.Vv .it is'desir'edto elevate the Y tower, the m'otor25is oper-ated, and this, by Vmeans'ef the cable 26, pulls the tower np to the desired position.` v Itwillffurtherbe noted that when being transported, the tower. 'acts as aconnection between the rear 'wheels l r'and the front lf-njether wordetheV towerin this case acts astheffcnupling; member between the frontanfdrear wheelsandi is the stressA carry-ing inemberbetween Ithe frontand rear wheelsthe: re'arfwheels fand associatedframe being Vpulledalong by the tower 'through its connection to the front wheels.Thedrurnd() may be 'provided with a hand 'crank Sila so that ineinergencies,` the tower may be lifted' `and ifoweredby hand; l fIiclaim: A 1 Y- y f1.. YA;rec'onn'oitering device 4comprising a p'air ofwheels, a frame mounted 'on said wheels, "la tower pivotally Vconnectedwith saidY frame, front whe-els forming a part of a Apower nnit fortransporting `said tower with which. said tower is removably connected,said frame havinga projecting part which projects forwardly,means forconnecting said There -end to said frame, a'platform pivotally connectedwith Athe other end of said tower, a shaft carried by said tower, aconnection between said shaft andy said yplatform and means for rotatingthe" shaft as thetower is.l lifted and lowered so as to control theposition of ksaid-.iplatforrn f Y 1l. `A reconnoitering devicecomprising rear wheels,A a framevmounted thereon, a tower pivotaliyconnected with said frame, front wheels, a connection between said towerand said fron'twheels, a platform pivotally connected withthe front endofthe tower, and wheels carried by the front end of said tower, theperiphery of said wheels projecting beyond the bottom of 'said-*platformso asv to engage the ground when the tower is 'disc'onnected from'thefront wheels..

5. A reconnoit'ering device comprising a tower, a power unitforsupplying power to transport 'and manipulate said tower,fa .frame towhich one end of the tower is pivotally connected, rear .wheels forksaid frame, an up'- wardly projecting part at 'one side of said frame,a pulley thereon, a'pull'ey 'connected with said tower at a pointbetween its ends, a cable 'connected with the t'owen and extending overvsaidV pulleys., aV drum with. which saidv cable'is connected, means forrotating the rdrnm to move theftower about its pivotal point; after i'tis mechanicallyV Ydisconnected from the power unit and means for'control-f ling' lsaid power from the power unit when the tower is atadistance therefrom,y and means separate fromV thev tower movingmechanism for holding said tower in any Yofits various positions.k Y f.Signed Vat Chicago, countyof Cookan'd tate of illinois, this 11th dayof July,19f22.

- JOSEPH B. STRAUSS.

projecting. partwith the tower, said project- .i

ing.- part adapted to engage the ground when disconnected from the towervso as to act as apartial support` .for the tower.. v

1 v2. reconnoitering device comprising a tower, a fra-nie, a pivotconnected with said framefor pivotally connecting one end Iof the i'tower therewith, 1a pinion connected with i said pivot, apiatformat theother endk 'of said' tower, a pivot with which it is pivotally connectedwith the tower, a beveled gear connected with said? pivot, a shaftextending-along the tower-1and having two beveled gearsthereon, saidbeveled gears meshing withth'e bev el'e'd gears'on the'rpifvots ofthe-tewervanl the platfqrin, 'whereby Vthe platform fisl `infrasnbstantiallyhorizontal positionin all vthe ypositi'nns of the tower.J

32 reconnoiterin'g device comprising a EGO

